The Nugg Doctor follows the Denver Nuggets exclusively and sometimes provides glimpses back into some classic NBA and ABA historical moments. He is constantly compiling knowledge to his NBA IQ. He is always looking for more ways to amaze his fans with his eclectic knowledge. Don't see your favorite pro? No sweat, just request that the Nugg Doctor writes up an article on them so they aren't forgotten! Be sure to check the archives for legends your memory might need some refreshing on.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Nuggets Lose Game and Carmelo in L.A.

(AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

(Boulder-CO) Is there no basketball god? And if so, how could they allow Carmelo Anthony to come down on Kobe Bryant’s foot and twist his ankle after a jump shot? Forget for a second that the Nuggets lost to the Lakers, 116-99, and just think about the bad luck this team has had with injuries this season. First, it was Chucky Atkins who went down with a pulled groin that later would develop into a full-blown sports hernia. Then it was Steven Hunter who needed surgery on his knee. Nene then found out he had a testicular tumor. Following that scary news was Kenyon Martin’s battle with a staph infection on the buttock. Now, it’s Eduardo Najera and his hyper-extended elbow and, even worse, Carmelo with what appears to be a badly sprained ankle!

Somebody better call a witch doctor because I think this team is cursed!

No seriously, get out the yellow pages and call now.

The Nuggets never really had a chance in this game with the Lakers because, as we have already seen now more than a handful of times, they allowed a team to score around or more than 60 points in the first half. Against the Lakers, it was a 39-point first quarter that put the Nuggets behind the eight-ball, and as the game went on Denver could never get out of the hole they already dug themselves. Granted, Derek Fisher was unconscious in the first quarter, but that is still no excuse for the soft interior defense the Nuggets played. Factor in that Denver threw in the towel with a 17-point fourth quarter and there should be no miscommunication as to why the Nuggets were beaten so easily.

Just how bad was the defense by Denver? Let’s put it this way… Kwame “Mittens” Brown had two huge dunks in the first three minutes of the game!

Now, I don’t know about everyone else, but I have had it with this injury routine. It’s not something that anyone can do anything about, but something has got to give. The training room in Denver must have a revolving door on it because they just can not get a full, healthy team together. Is there a bright side? Yes, and that is Nuggets trainer Jim Gillen is one of the best, and now busiest, in the business and the Nuggets (with Nene as the exception) should be able to recover from all this misfortune and hopefully show us what they can do at quasi full-strength sometime real soon.